A college student from St Annes has seen three Fishergate fines waived by Lancashire County Council.
AdvertisementGeorgina Raynor, 18, studies at Cardinal Newman College and was unaware of the new bus lanes in Preston city centre.
Miss Raynor and her friends drive the route each weekday for their studies and she received three penalty notices in three days during November.
Her mother, Alison, said they were shocked to receive the letters outlining the bus lane had been entered between 11am and 6pm when the restrictions are in place.
She said: “The girls share the driving and they’ve always used Fishergate. She said she’d seen no signs or anything changing there.
“The county council said she must have received warning letters during the first fortnight of the bus lanes operating but there was nothing sent through.
“She was really upset about it and worried, wondering how she will pay the fines. It’s a lot of money for someone trying to do their studies and A-levels.”
Read more: Here’s how much the county council are netting in Fishergate fines
Miss Raynor emailed the county council outlining she wasn’t aware of the bus lane and hadn’t received a warning letter as thousands of other drivers had.
The county council wrote back to say as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ the fines had been written off.
Alison Raynor said: “It’s quite right really. The signage is poor.
“I work in Blackburn and you know what is a bus lane there and what isn’t. You’d have no leg to stand on if you drove down one.
“I do think they need to make it clearer for people who aren’t from Preston when they are driving in.
“Georgina’s so relieved it’s all sorted now.”
The county council says it is continuing to put traffic marshalls on Preston’s main shopping street during the post-Christmas sales.
What do you think of the decision? Let us know in the comments below